Cao Jinxing had made his arrests openly. Not only had the court and the Yan Family received word, but Eastern Japan had as well.
The bright moon had just risen.
In the Zhoushan Archipelago, at the center of the Wokou's lair.
On a towering hillside, a cup suddenly shattered with a crash inside the largest courtyard residence.
A stream of furious curses in Japanese followed. Sword qi shot out of the room and chopped apart a row of cherry trees outside the door!
Petals scattered through the air.
Numerous samurai gathered in alarm, thinking an assassin had broken in, only to hear a powerful shout from the main hall: "Get out!"
The speaker was Kitahara Hayato, head of Shinto-ryu.
The main hall was brightly lit, and the leaders of the various Wokou factions were all present.
At the head sat Wang Zhi, lord of the Zhoushan Archipelago and pirate chief. He was in his forties, with hard, cold features and profound internal energy. Wearing a black feathered cloak with a samurai sword at his waist, he was dressed like an Eastern Japan Samurai-perhaps to make it easier to command the Wokou under him.
In the first chair on the left sat his deputy, Xu Weixue, dressed as a scholar of the Central Plains. He was studying a letter in his hand, his brows knitted in thought.
In the second chair sat Xu Hai, the "Living Buddha," wearing a blue kasaya and holding prayer beads as he chanted sutras with his eyes closed.
Kitahara Hayato, head of Shinto-ryu, stood in front of the first chair on the right, a divine weapon in hand and fury on his face. At his feet lay a messenger pigeon that had just been cleaved in two...
In the second chair on the right sat a